3,000 extra homes for Cherwell because Oxford's full?

The Local Plan Part 1 was adopted in July last year and includes plans to fully meet the district’s development needs to 2031.

But a new public consultation has been drawn up today (Friday) by Cherwell District Council to inform a partial review of the Local Plan Part 1, specifically to help meet Oxford City’s housing needs.

On the district council’s website, it says the working figure for Oxford’s unmet housing need is 15,000 homes between 2011-2031.

Were these to be distributed evenly across the local authorities, including Cherwell District Council, this would result in 3,000 homes per authority area but that number could stretch in some areas to 3,500.

This remains a working figure until the Oxfordshire Growth Board completes its countywide work later this year.

A PDF leaflet detailing the consultation on the district council website said: “Oxford has a high level of housing need. As a relatively compact, historic city, Oxford has some characteristics which constrain

its ability to accommodate new development including the Oxford Green Belt, which encircles and extends into the city, a tightly drawn administrative boundary, flooding, areas of nature conservation, and historic assets.

“The Cherwell District adjoins the Oxford City boundary and there are geographic, social, economic and historic relationships between the two.”

The consultation paper highlights the key housing issues facing both Cherwell District and Oxford City, including housing affordability and a need to provide an appropriate housing mix to meet the different

needs of all communities.

The leaflet adds the council is inviting submissions of sites with potential to deliver housing development in the Cherwell District in the interest of meeting some of Oxford’s unmet housing needs.

Promoted sites must be for more than ten dwellings.

For more information on the consultation click here.